U. of C. activists want bathrooms without gender

[private_ryan]

I don't think I know one girl who would rather use the same bathroom as guys. Why not add one more bathroom with a ? logo on it for those who aren't sure what they are, or just aren't happy with their current gender. Imagine how safe most normal women would feel if they had to go in the same bathroom with guys they never seen before.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bathrooms26...
++snip++
"Persons who are not easily legible as male or female often experience various forms of intimidation in these places. If a woman in a women's-only restroom is assumed to be a man, there may be real threats to her comfort and even safety," warns the Coalition for a Queer Safe Campus, a student group comprised of various organizations supporting equality on campus. "Students have faced gay-baiting comments in our university's sex-segregated bathrooms."

++snip++
"Some feminists might say that any sex segregation is problematic," said Mary Anne Case, a professor of law at the University of Chicago who has studied the early roots of feminism and the inequality in sex segregated bathrooms.

Case said that along with creating more bathroom space for women -- a typical problem in public facilities -- the gender-neutral bathroom would also give men and women less reasons to separate in social functions.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bathrooms26...

[La_Serpiente]

1. Absolutely Not

I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I am sure many women would. There would have to be a security guard in the bathroom just to make sure nothing happens.

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. Presumably, an intersexual security guard, I presume (eom)

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[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Oh dear...

As if I haven't already had enough trouble with "bashful bladder" at the urinals...

[gratuitous]

4. Hanh?

"If a woman in a women's-only restroom is assumed to be a man"? Now, I try to be as up on queer culture as the next straight white guy, but why would a woman in a women's restroom be assumed to be a man??? Unless there are urinals in women's rooms that I don't know about, I was under the impression that women had individual stalls with stools in them. I suppose a woman would run that risk if she peed standing up and someone was snooping at the feet under the stall doors, but otherwise, I'm left with my original comment in the subject line.

Color me

[bluestateguy]

5. These people need to get a life

This ranks right up there with the Augusta National in importance. There are just a few more things of importance to the cause of gender equality.

[RaRa]

20. Indeed; these folks have been watching too much

Alley McBeal. U of C folks have absolutely no social life and it is definitely showing.

[AnnabelLee]

6. Phyllis Schlafly warned us about unisex restrooms

When she was busy telling lies & making up horror stories about the ERA, unisex public restrooms was one of her favorite bug-a-boos. Now it's coming from another direction Phyllis probably never thought of.

[karlschneider]

7. Well, only low-class people do nasty things like peeing and pooping.

Right?

I've been to lots of countries that don't worry about silly shit like this. I'm trying with not much success to recall more of a short story I read about 50 years ago about a group of people, each sitting on toilets in a large room, having conversations. Occasionally, someone would excuse him/herself and go to a small kitchen and privately eat some food.

Does this ring a bell with anybody here?

[0007]

19. Yes, and a lot of co-ed restrooms has an enclosed shower...

for those who had defecated. I was uncomfortable at first, but soon it makes little difference. Much like in counties where the women doesn't shave under her arms.

[aquart]

8. Dear god, who thought this was a good idea?

Columbia Law School has them. Horrible. Truly horrible idea. Vile.

There has to be SOME place you can go to adjust your underwear.

[LastTime2BeFree]

9. Sure, as long as they pay for it.

I figure 20 bucks a shot would do.

[Democat]

Aren't there more imporant things to fight for?

I realize that each issue has to be dealt with by someone, but can't they put their time and effort into something more important for right now, like maybe getting rid of Bush in 2004?

[private_ryan]

11. if these idiots keep coming with "ideas" like this

it will be even harder because voters associate everyone on our side with this.

Funny to see how no DUer has supported this so far

[Guaranteed]

12. Yup.

I hate left wing kooks even more than right wing ones. They make us look really bad.

[truthisfreedom]

10. a local bar has put in a unisex restroom with stalls marked women and men

so i go in, and there are two "men" stalls and two "women." one "men" stall has a urinal, which didn't suffice, and the other "men" stall had a sign that said "out of order." the "women" stalls were clustered on one side, the "men" on the other. i just couldn't bring myself to go use a "women" stall. this whole unisex restroom thing is a very bad idea to me... i go to a men's room with the intention of doing things that i wouldn't want any woman to see me or hear me or smell me doing. can't i just have some privacy, please?

[1a2b3c]

13. I dont even like sharing a bathroom with other guys and i piss standing up

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

14. Limbaugh had fun with this today attributing it to "feminazis."

'Nuff said.

[Maple]

15. Americans

sure get hung up about sex.

[Nlighten1]

16. Surely this isn't real...

[Cronus Protagonist]

17. I'm all for it

Maybe it's because I'm european, but I figure a toilet is a toilet and what woman in the world has never seen the back of a man standing to pee?

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[private_ryan]

18. go to a truck stop and use the same bathroom

with some trucker when no one else is around.

[psychopomp]

21. UC Santa Cruz *already* has been doing this for years

It has been no big deal there. I don't see it being a problem in any of the other schools in the system. (On edit: this is a different "U. of C." Is what is good for California good for the country? You decide.) The worst you have to expect is going in to take a smelly dump next to the cutest woman in your dorm.

P.S. the showers are also unsegregated; each stall has its own little undressing space.

Any Fighting Banana Slugs want to speak out on this?

[joycep]

22. As far as I'm concerned someone

has lost their mind. I do love men and all that but I sure don't want to go to the bathroom with them.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

23. What's the big deal?

Why not add one more bathroom with a ? logo on it for those who aren't sure what they are, or just aren't happy with their current gender.

From the article, that's exactly what they are considering doing. I don't see what the big deal is anyway. It's not like they are trying to force everyone to use the gender neutral bathrooms, they are simply adding some additional options.

At my undergraduate institution, about half of the dorms made most or all of their bathrooms gender neutral. We liked the extra convenience of being able to use any of the bathrooms on the floor. It also made it much easier to shower with an S.O. of the opposite sex.